CHAPTER XI

AN UNEXPECTED RENCONTRE

It was lunch-time when the visitors landed, and they proceeded to the St. George's Hotel in Market Square, to attend to this mid-day duty. In the coffee-room they found quite a number of guests, and the only spare seat the detective found was at a large table at which a gentleman in uniform was seated.

"Wit your permis-si-on, I take one of the places here," said M. Rubempre with his politest flourish.

"Certainly," replied the gentleman, as politely as the Frenchman; and he seated himself at the table, Christy remaining standing.

"_Demandez un garcon_" (ask for a waiter), "Christophe." Then in French he asked the stranger opposite him if he spoke that language.

"A little, sir; but I am not fluent in it," replied the gentleman in the same language.

"Ah, my dear sir, you speak very well; and you have the Parisian accent," added the Frenchman, who, like his countrymen, counted upon the effect of a little well-administered flattery.

"You are very kind to say so, sir. I have been in Paris a few months, and was always able to make my way with the language," said the stranger, evidently pleased with the commendation bestowed upon his French accent; for many people take more pride in their foreign accent than in the proper use of their own language.

"Christophe, find a place for yourself, and order what you desire,"

continued the Frenchman, as a waiter, summoned by the acting servant, presented himself to take the order.

At this moment a gentleman behind the detective vacated his place at the table, and Christy took a seat close to his companion. The lunch of both was ordered, and the stranger opposite had but just commenced his meal.

M. Rubempre "laid himself out" to make himself as agreeable as possible, and he seemed to be succeeding admirably, for the stranger appeared to be absolutely charmed with him. Speaking slowly and clearly, so that the person in uniform, who did not speak French fluently, could understand him, he told him all about his brother in the Confederate army, and strongly expressed his desire to join him, and perhaps the army, for he had very strong sympathy for the right in the great conflict; in fact, he was disposed to engage in fighting for the right.

Then he inquired of his new friend what wine was the best in the island.

The stranger preferred sherry, but perhaps a Frenchman might take a different view of the subject. M. Rubempre ordered both sherry and claret, and then filled the gla.s.ses of his _vis-a-vis_ and his own. He did not offer any to his servant, for he knew that he never touched it.

They drank claret first to each other's health.

"You are in the military, my friend?" continued the detective.

"No, sir; I am a sailor. Allow me to introduce myself as Captain Rombold, of the steamer Dornoch."

"I am extremely happy to make your acquaintance, Captain Rombold. To reciprocate, I am M. Rubempre, of Paris," added the Frenchman, as he filled his companion's gla.s.s, and they tippled again with an abundance of compliments. "I presume that you are in the British navy, Captain Rombold?"

"At present I am not, though I was formerly in that service, and resigned to engage in a more lucrative occupation."

"Indeed, what could be better than the position of an officer in the Royal navy?"

"I am now a commander in the navy of the Confederate States," added the captain, looking with interest into the face of his companion. "I am taking in coal and cargo, and shall sail at five to-morrow afternoon for Wilmington."

"Is it possible?" said M. Rubempre, who appeared to be greatly impressed by what was said to him. "I wish I was a sailor, but I am not. You will break through the blockade?"

"I apprehend no difficulty in doing that, for the Dornoch is good for fourteen knots an hour, and most of the Federal fleet cannot make more than twelve."

Christy was very glad to hear this acknowledgment of the speed of the intended cruiser, for it a.s.sured him that the Chateaugay could outsail her. The two gentlemen at the other table pa.s.sed the wine very freely, and both of them seemed to be considerably exhilarated; but he was glad to perceive that his friend allowed the captain to do the most of the talking. The lunch was finished at last, and both of them rose from the table.

"I am exceedingly obliged to you, M. Rubempre, for the pleasure I have derived from this interview," said Captain Rombold, as he grasped the hand of his companion. "I have had more practice with my French than for several years, and I take great delight in speaking the language. I hope we shall meet again."

"Thanks! Thanks! I am very sure that we shall meet again; and almost as sure that we shall meet fighting for the right," added the Frenchman.

"But I hope you will be a pa.s.senger on board of the Dornoch, as you suggested to me a little while ago. I will give you a good stateroom, though I cannot absolutely promise to take you to the port of our destination, for accidents may happen in the midst of the blockaders."

"If I can go with you, my dear Captain Rombold, I shall be on board of your ship by four to-morrow afternoon," replied the detective, as he took the hand of his new friend for the last time.

Christy had finished his lunch, and they left the hotel together. The carriage in which they had come called for them at the appointed time, and they returned to Hamilton. The conversation was continued in French, so that the driver was none the wiser for what he heard. At the Atlantic they went to their rooms, where the information they had obtained was collaborated, and written down in French, the detective concealing it in a belt pocket he wore on his body.

"The wonder to me has been that these officers talked so freely," said Christy, as they seated themselves at a window. "They talked to you as plainly as though you had been their friend for life."

"Why shouldn't they? They can't help knowing that I am a Frenchman; and I am sorry to say that my countrymen, like so many of the English, sympathize with the South in the great Civil War. They take me for a friend at once. Besides, as they understand the matter here, why should these blockade-runners, or even the Confederate commander, object to telling what they are going to do. There will be no mail steamer to New York till after they have all gone off; and there is no telegraph yet."

"Perhaps you are right, M. Rubempre; but I think a good deal more discretion would become them better, as they are likely to ascertain very soon," added Christy.

"I suppose none of these people here would consider it possible or practicable to land at these islands and pick up the news, as we have done. This was my plan for Na.s.sau, but I did not think of applying it to the Bermudas, till Captain Chantor told me his difficulty as to waiting for the Dornoch."

"It seems to me we have done all we can do here, and there is nothing more to do."

"That is very true; but I supposed it would take at least two days to do our business. We have been much more successful than I antic.i.p.ated, and performed the duty in half the time I supposed it would require. But it was better to have too much time than too little."

"It is nearly night now, and we have another day to spend here."

"We can rest from our labors in the hope that our works will follow us.

I am ready to do a good deal of sleeping in the time that remains to us, for we may not be able to sleep any to-morrow night," added the detective as he threw himself on his bed, and was soon fast asleep.

Christy had slept enough the night before and during the morning; and he went out to take a walk in the town. He had taken off his suit of black, and put on the costume he had worn from the ship. He was inclined to see what there was in the town; and he walked about till it was dark, at which time he found himself in the vicinity of the Hamilton Hotel, the largest and best appointed in the town. He was dressed very plainly, but there was nothing shabby in his appearance; and he thought he would inspect the interior of the hotel.

He began to mount the piazza, when he suddenly halted, and started back with astonishment, and his hair almost stood on end. Directly in front of him, and not ten feet distant, sat his uncle, Homer Pa.s.sford, of Glenfield, talking with a gentleman in uniform. The lantern that hung near him enabled him to see the features of the planter, but he could not see the face of the officer, with whom he was engaged in a very earnest conversation.

Christy's first impulse was to put a long distance between himself and his uncle, for his father's brother might identify him in spite of the color on his face. Such a discovery was likely to prove very annoying to him, and might render useless the information the detective and himself had obtained with so much trouble and risk. But the first question that came into his head was the inquiry as to what his uncle was doing in Bermuda. He was a Confederate of the most positive type, had done everything in his power for his government, as he understood it, and was willing to sacrifice his life and all that he had in the world in its service.

Colonel Pa.s.sford must be there on some mission. He was a prominent and useful man in his State; and he would not have left it without some very strong motive. The nephew would have given a great deal, and exposed himself to no little peril, to be able to fathom this motive. He moved away from the piazza, and went upon it at another place. If he could hear some of the conversation he might be able to form some idea of the occasion of his uncle's visit.

Walking along the platform, he obtained a position behind Colonel Pa.s.sford, and at the same time saw the face of the person with whom he was in conversation. He was not a little surprised to discover that the gentleman was Captain Rombold, commander of the Dornoch. He had hardly seen this officer, and he had no fear that he would recognize him; and, if he did, it was of little consequence, for he was there in the capacity of a servant. He took a vacant chair, turned his back to both of the speakers, and opened wide his ears. Probably nine-tenths of the people in the hotel were directly or indirectly concerned in the business of blockade-running; and secrecy was hardly necessary in that locality.

"As I say, Captain Rombold, we need more fast steamers, not to run the blockade, but to prey upon the enemy's commerce. In that way we can bring the people of the North to their senses, and put this unhallowed strife on the part of the Federals to an end," said Colonel Pa.s.sford.

"Well, Colonel, there are ships enough to be had on the other side of the Atlantic, and your money or your cotton will buy them," added the naval officer.

"We have been rather unfortunate in running cotton out this last year.

Several steamers and sailing vessels that I fitted out with cotton myself were captured by my own nephew, who was in command of a small steamer called the Bronx."

"Of course those things could not be helped," replied Captain Rombold; "but with the Gateshead and the Kilmarnock, larger and more powerful steamers than any that have been sent over, you can scour the ocean.

They are ready for you when your money is ready."

"It is ready now, for I have sacrificed my entire fortune for the purchase of these steamers; and I wait only for a vessel that will take me to Scotland," replied Colonel Pa.s.sford.

Christy promptly decided that the steamers mentioned should not be purchased to prey on the commerce of the United States, if he could possibly prevent it.